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Green Tea (Matcha) Shortbread

Green Tea (Matcha) Shortbread

One of my all time favorite store-bought cookies is Pepperidge Farms® Chessmen®. Classic shortbread deliciousness. They’re dangerous, as you really can’t stop at just one. I came across this recipe from Martha Stewart Living for Green Tea Shortbread and have been wanting to try these for months.
These turned out to also be shortbread buttery goodness, with green tea, Matcha, infusion. I thought after adding 2 tablespoons of the tea powder gold (gold because it was expensive), that it might be too much green tea flavor, but that was not the case. If anything, it might have needed more?    The dough becomes a rich, deep green, reminiscent of sculpting with Play-Doh.    The shortbread dough was easy enough to work with, just don’t skip any of the chilling steps.   I did have a challenge keeping the cut-out shapes.   After pans of testing and adjusting, I still wasn’t happy with the shape retention.    I’d love to hear your experiences and any tips you may have for that sharp cut-out shape preservation.

Update 10/18/2010: This is going to sound silly, but it came to me in a dream with regards to why the cookies didn’t retain their shapes like I would’ve liked.  The baking sheets I used for these cookies is the air-cushioned pans that has served me well for years.  However, it may be to the shortbread’s detriment because when going from the refrigerator to the oven, it would take the pan longer to heat due to the cushioned layer.    It’s just a hunch…but this also happened to me during a vanilla scone attempt.    I’m betting that’s what it was.   Good excuse to invest in a couple more cookie sheets. 🙂

About Matcha Tea

  • ma = powder and cha = tea
  • Matcha is a stone-ground form of tea where the whole leaf is consumed.
  • It is rich in antioxidants and dietary fibers.
  • According to research conducted by Tufts University, the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) capacity of matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidant levels such as blueberries and spinach.
  • The Japanese tea ceremony known as Chanoyu centers around the preparation, serving and drinking of matcha tea.

Note: I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. Consult with your family doctor(s) for nutrition and dietary needs.

Teenie Notes

  • Matcha Green Tea was difficult to find.    I finally found it at Teavana – 40 grams for $19.95, which to me is quite expensive. I understand that Matcha is a more expensive tea. I’ve read that it can also be found at Whole Foods, although I did not check myself.
  • Even though I cut the cookies out in cute little shapes, I had a challenge with the shortbread retaining the crisp shape of the cutter.
  • Don’t skip the steps of chilling the dough, it’s essential.
  • The original directions baking temperature and time was 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I altered that time to 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.  Like many recipes, you’ll need to test what the best temperature and baking time is for you based on the thickness and size of your cut-outs.
  • I used leaf cutters found at Williams Sonoma (may be a seasonal item).   The cutters are great in that it also imprints and easy to transfer the dough to your baking pan.
Green Tea (Matcha) Shortbread

source adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Makes 3 dozen (depending on cut-out size)

Ingredients

Matcha Tea

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons green-tea powder (Matcha tea)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Sift flour, tea powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In an electric mixer bowl fitted with paddle, place room temperature butter and cream in the bowl and beat until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes or light in color and fluffy. Add flour mixture and combine on low speed, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula, until flour is incorporated and dough sticks together when gathered between your fingers.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and chill in refrigerator or freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Green Tea (Matcha) Shortbread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees – 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.   Cut out chilled dough in desired shapes and with a wide spatula, transfer to a baking sheet. Chill until firm. Gather scraps and repeat process of rolling, cutting out shapes and chilling.

Green Tea (Matcha) Shortbread

Bake until firm and edges are barely starting to brown. For 325 degrees, about 12-15 minutes; for 375 degrees, about 8-9 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack and store in airtight container for up to 3-4 weeks.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tara says

    These were absolutely delicious! I love the buttery crumb texture. I cut the cookies into witches and decorated them with chocolate ganache for Halloween.

    • Cristina says

      Hi Tara…what a cute idea using seasoned themed cutters for these matcha shortbreads. I clicked over to your site to see the cookies you mentioned, but didn’t find them. Please let me know if you post it! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback….

      Have a great Halloween!

  2. Charity Chalmers says

    Hi Cristina,

    Great job with the matcha shortbread and here’s to cooking with Matcha. Matcha is one of my favorite ingredients at the moment. I own a teashop in Oregon called Chariteas and we are constantly coming up with new recipes. There’s actually a cooking grade which is a bit cheaper, however I feel as though it’s equivalent to using cheap wine when making Beef Bourguignon. Well if you want to learn more about tea just send me and email.

    Thanks,
    Charity

  3. Summer Delilah says

    I love Matcha tea! I found it quite cheap ($5 per oz) at a local tea shop. You should be able to find it in bulk anywhere that sells bulk tea leaves, and it will be much, MUCH cheaper than getting it from Teavana or Whole Foods.

  7. Arlene|DailyShoppersGuide says

    Very nice. This is actually one of the recipes that I like best here in your blog. The use of green tea means that this is also healthy and full of natural benefits. Plus I like the color: greenish which is unusual in a cookie. Thanks.

  8. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    They look adorable and so true about the Chessman cookies! We don’t get them here but I buy up big when I’m in the US! 🙂 And I hear you about green tea powder. I stock up when I visited Japan as it’s very reasonable there 🙂

  10. Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz says

    Love the shortbread, I adore baking with matcha too, always have some in the house. I guess it depends where you live but I get it by a Koran grocery store near me, its 7.99 for 100gr. Did you look on Ebay?

  12. Jean says

    These are simply gorgeous! They look too good to eat but of course I would if offered one. 🙂

    I’ve been intrigued by matcha powder for baking but have never tried it. As usual, your tips are very useful. By the way, the Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies were my favorite growing up! 🙂 Thanks for posting this–I’ve bookmarked it to try soon.

  14. Patty Price says

    Hey Christina, these are probably some of the cutest looking cookies I’ve ever laid eyes on, no kidding, I just adore the color and the shape, so whimsical and creative:) I’ve wanted to try Matcha since first spotting it on both Roxan and Tanantha’s blogs, I really have to get my act together and try this beautiful tea!

  15. blackbookkitchendiaries says

    my family would love this. they love green tea flavored stuff! so these shortbread would really be a hit. they look so pretty and the cookie cutters are just adoreable:) thank you for sharing this.

  16. Mindy says

    I’m still undecided about matcha tea flavouring. I love green tea in general, as well as in ice cream:) but some of the matcha tea items I’ve had I haven’t been partial to. After your post, maybe I’ll try it again.

  18. Jennifer says

    Your pictures are so great! I love shortbread cookies with tea. I never thought about making green tea shortbread. I may have to give it a try.

  20. Stella says

    Wow, Christina, your matcha dough is so simple-I love that (smile). The cookies look so delicious and pretty too with the leaf shape. I really need to get some more cookie cutters. I think I have like a star and a Texas shaped one. Yeah, that’s it;)

  21. Joyti says

    I really adore matcha and shortbread…I make shortbread a lot, and I think if there is a lot of butter they sometimes get crumbly. They just dont hold up as well as eggy cookies (but they’re still so delicious).
    I’m not a fan of Teavana – I usually buy matcha from Ippodo – better quality. I bought their fall harvest one – $11 for 20 g (and I dont drink a lot of matcha, and matcha doesn’t store once its opened, so the smaller size is great).

  26. Chef Dennis says

    wow….now those cookies are gorgeous!! what a great colour!! sounds like you might be onto something with the cookie sheet!
    I just tagged you over at my site!! I hope you have time to play!

  27. Susi says

    Beautiful presentation! Your cookies look sell-worthy! I also wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your Teenie Notes!

  29. Magic of Spice says

    These are just gorgeous! I would love to advise you on the cookie molds…but if you followed me they would just be burnt 🙁 I know that Whole Foods carries the Matcha but I do not remember the pricing.

  30. Lea @ Heatlhy Coconut says

    Anything that says matcha nowadays catches my attention. Your cookies got my full attention. The pictures are very pretty 🙂

    I drink teas from Cha Cha Tea and I believe they also carry matcha powder. You should check it out if a you ever run out of the tea and looking into less expensive brand.

  36. Maljax says

    Check Chinese, Japanese, or Korean markets for Matcha. I have an 8.8 oz bag which cost 6 dollars at a Chinese Grocery Store.

  37. Cathy @ lolfoodie says

    These look so perfect! Makes me want to go out and buy some cookie cutters with indentation on the top like that.

    I have never used matcha before, but maybe I will try it now. Thanks! 😀

  40. Stella says

    I just wanted to chime in, as someone who’s lived in Japan and worked in Japanese bakeries here in the states $20 for 40 grams is an absolute STEAL!!! The green tea I buy for work is $27/oz (28.5 grams). So, fret not, you’re not getting scammed. It’s a highly prized ceremonial grade, so there’s just a huge market for it which drives up the cost. But the color is so wonderful, and it’s great to make delicious, pretty green cookies without dye. I like to make holly leaves at xmas time. ^^

  42. Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says

    My husband brought back a jar of matcha from Tokyo, and I have yet to make a dent into it. I had no idea it was so expensive! I had better make use of it before it’s too late. This looks like a great tea cookie for these colder days.

  51. Monet says

    I’ve just been telling Ryan how much I want to make some matcha baked goods. But yes..it is expensive here too! I’m going to have to see if I can find it at Whole Foods. These cookies look delicious…I’m also a huge fan of shortbread so I know I would love these. Thank you so much for all your kind words on my blog…your thoughts mean a lot to me during this time.

  53. Kim - Cook It Allergy Free says

    Oh my goodness. These are brilliant! I love Match green tea (we get it at a local organic tea shop here – but, yes, so expensive). My mind is turning with ideas now. This is such a great idea. I have a shortbread pan from Williams that would probably help considering that I would be making these gluten free. Ah. Hoping I can spend some time in the kitchen tomorrow. Have so many things I want to whip up. 😉

  55. roxan says

    So glad you used matcha! It’s one of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with. You’re right, it is quite expensive… I tried ordering in bulk off of Amazon but I didn’t like it as much as the one I get from my local Japanese market. I’ve found that a little goes a long way though. Many of the things i’ve made with it only need one or two teaspoons. I like those cutouts, where’d you get them?

    PS I also love Chessmen! Back when I was fresh out of college and able to eat whatever I wanted I always had a bag of them at my desk at work. Then one day I finally noticed the picture on the front of the bag and realized that they were chess pieces. Chess pieces… chessmen. It was such a revelation! haha

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Roxan: LOL! I think it was the same for me too…I busily enjoyed and consumed those Chessmen cookies before I realized the imprints were chess pieces. I probably didn’t notice before because I didn’t play chess then. 🙂

      Yeah…I was surprised how much Matcha powder was – it’s powder gold! You’re right about the quality and how much of it will get you that flavor you need depending on that. I’ll be on the lookout for other sources.

      Those cutouts are from Williams Sonoma and they come in a set of 4-different leaves. Last I checked it wasn’t online, but they’re stocked in the stores and as Thanksgiving draws near, they’ll be harder to find. I got these last year and I luv them. So easy to use. I also used it on puff pastry for a brie apple compote. Great, fun tool. Would’ve been even better on these cookies if I could’ve retained the shape! ;o)

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